Infected
by f-romanoff-13
Summary: They need a cure, before it's too late! Reviews are always appreciated!
1. Chapter 1

The Avengers were gathered in the medical bay of the helicarrier having successfully neutralised the latest threat of aliens attempting to invade earth. Apart from a few cuts and scrapes; they were all fine, Coulson had insisted they all get checked out anyway and the team had long since come to accept it was easier not to argue with him.

They were just about to leave; head back to the tower, crash and order some Chinese food.

"Agent Romanoff" the doctor called, she turned to see him stood looking wearily at her from the other side of the ward, a surgical mask placed firmly over his face.  
She raised an eyebrow at him questioningly.  
"We need you to stay for a while longer"  
Apprehension flickered across her face for just a moment, so brief only Clint noticed it as he carefully observed her. She turned to follow the doctor after sharing a glance with the archer, but stopped as her path was blocked by Steve.

"Why exactly is that?" he asked, the authority he commanded seemed to stun the doctor who turned, searching desperately for someone to come and help him.  
"Something came up in Romanoff's blood work... sir"  
"Something?"  
"An unidentified virus, we think it may be contagious. I've been asked to take you down to quarantine" he looked apologetically at Natasha over his surgical mask.  
Coulson appeared behind the doctor; wearing a matching mask, Natasha could see the concern in his eyes as his gaze met hers.

* * *

The quarantine area on the helicarrier was small; no larger than 10 foot square; there was a small bed, access to a bathroom, and a small table with a jug of water on it. Natasha really hoped she wouldn't be there long. Last time she'd been confined here was when her and Clint had returned from Indonesia with a bad virus that SHIELD didn't want getting around. They'd been locked in here for four days before they realised it wasn't contagious, but at least they'd been together then.

She sat silently on the end of the bed while she listened to her team demand answers to the questions she should be asking:

"She's the only one infected?"  
"Nothing was detected in any of your blood works, we're running further tests just to be safe"

"How serious is this?"  
"We don't know anything concrete as of yet"

"Who've you go on this?"  
"SHIELD has a team of scientists and medics looking into it, a sample of Romanoff's blood has also been sent to the CDC and WHO"


	2. Chapter 2

The team had all stayed to show their support, but the four glass walls made Natasha feel like an animal on show at the zoo. She convinced them that they were more useful elsewhere; Tony and Bruce went to the labs to convene with the Scientists, Thor went to see if he could get any information on possible infections from the other realms, while Steve finally left to get some food. She failed to get Clint to leave.

She was pacing back and forth when Steve, Tony and Bruce rejoined Clint.  
"Don't you want anything to eat?" Steve asked, eyeing the plate of food which remained untouched on the end of Natasha's bed  
"Not hungry"  
"You haven't eaten in almost 24 hours" Tony observed, his own mouth full of food.

Natasha shrugged, wiping at the beads of sweat forming on her forehead. She noticed the other members of her team had all put jackets on; it being November the helicarrier wasn't known for being warm. But she was uncomfortably hot; burning up wearing nothing more than a t shirt. She was shivering though, enough to make her voice shake as she spoke; this was not something that went amiss by her worried teammates.

"Natasha are you..." Clint began, rising to his feet.  
His sentence was interrupted as Natasha collapsed to the floor; crashing into the table.

He tried to dart towards her but was stopped by several members of medical staff. The other three Avengers had darted to their feet, ready for action until they realised nothing could be done. She said nothing but her eyes met Clint's; silently commuting to him, begging him not to enter the room, not to break quarantine. As much as it pained him, he knew she was right. She would never forgive him if he got sick too, and what was worse was, she'd never forgive herself.  
Natasha pulled herself to the back wall, slumping against it; not having the energy to get back to her feet or climb onto her bed.


	3. Chapter 3

As time passed her breathing became painful; laboured, slow and shallow. She coughed weakly; her eyes screwed up in pain as the movement upset her already pounding head.

Steve, Bruce and Tony had left again, not wanting to watch helplessly as their teammate and friend deteriorated so rapidly. Natasha couldn't blame them; she would have done the same.

The panic in Clint's face became more obvious; less well hidden as time passed. His eyes went wide as blood began to run down Natasha's face; first from her nose, but soon from her ears as well. When she started to cough it up the doctors decided it was time to gather the rest of the team. "She's in multisystem organ failure... I'm sorry, there's nothing that can be done" the doctor told them sadly, before leaving them to be alone.  
SHIELD, the CDC, WHO; they'd all been unsuccessful and Natasha was running out of time.

* * *

Clint saw it; the moment Natasha gave up, the moment she stopped fighting. When the pain became too much and the glimmer left her eyes. And that's when he decided; he couldn't let her die alone, even if that meant losing his life too, he couldn't sit back and do nothing. Quickly and smoothly he darted around Coulson, Hill and Fury, through the first door, and then the second; entering the quarantined room.

Fury yelled at him and Bruce looked on in shock, Tony was speechless while Steve looked at him; sorrow and understanding in his eyes. Coulson; when Clint looked at him he saw the smallest of nods, he'd been expecting this move and he hadn't tried to stop him. Clint silently thanked him as he sat on the floor next to his partner. He carefully wrapped his arms around her; pulling her close. Whispering in her ear until he felt her breathing slow and heart beat fade.  
Silent tears fell down his face as he leaned in close to give her one final kiss.


	4. Chapter 4

A moment later Thor joined the others; announcing proudly that he knew of a cure.  
"It's too late" Steve informed him solemnly, tears rolling down his face.  
"Cheer up Cap" came the response from behind him. They all turned, amazed, to see Natasha smiling at them; "It's not so bad"  
"Then you figured it out?" Thor asked smiling back  
"A kiss?! That was the cure?" Tony asked, somewhat shocked.

"No; true love is the cure"


End file.
